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B. C. ROWELL, DECD. L. c. ROWELL, EXE'CUTRIX.

TRAIN INSTRUMENT FOR SIGNAL SYSTEMS. APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 1. 1910.

1,198,470. Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1 B. C. ROWELL, DECD. L. c. ROWELL, zxzcumx.

TRAIN INSTRUMENT FOR SIGNAL SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1910.

1,193,479, Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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ZBENTON C. HOWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; LILLA C. RGWELL EXECUTED! OF SAID BENTON C. RQWELL, DECEASED.

TRAIN INSTRUMENT FOB SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916..

Application filed September 1, 1910. Serial No. 579,978.

To all whom may concern Be it known that I, BENTON C. RownLL, a citizen of the United States, residing in "Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Train Instruments for Signal Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of what are known as train instruments adapted to be carried on locomotives and to cause the setting of the brakes when they encounter cooperating instruments on the track. A type of train instrument is shown in my Patent, No. 776146, dated November 29, 1904:, and the present invention is an improvement upon the patented construction.

The nature of my improvement is fully disclosed in the following description, and it is also illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in Which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 11 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the instrument, the front plates being omitted. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the lever used in returning the device to normal. Fig. l is a plan view of the lever for holding the valve closed. Figs. 5 and 6 are partial, sectional elevations, one showing the controlling valve closed and the other showing it open. Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged perspective views of the devices for locking the slide controlling the valve, one showing them in the locking position and the other showing them in the unlocking position. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of one of said locking devices.

In said drawing, 10 represents the'connection to the air pipe of the train brake, and under it I provide a well or trap 11 adapted to collect condensations from the train pipe, and from which it is drawn off whenever necessary by the cook 12. The air passes through the trap over the top of the partition 13 and into the valve chamber 14:, in the bottom of which is seated the con trolling valve 15, preferably adapted to open downward, and having a strong spring 16 surrounding its stem and pressing upward against the shoulder 17 on the stem. A washer 18 supports the spring at the bottom and is adapted to move vertically a limited distance on the stem, and it serves as a means of compressing the spring as described later on. Below the washer 18 is a sleeve 19 surrounding the stem and made fast thereon by a screw thread and a pin 20, and acting to limit the downward movements of the washer.

The valve is held closed by a lever 21 swinging on a shaft or pivot 22 and having its end forked with one limb on each side of the stem and in position to support the washer 18. The opposite end of the lever 21 is also forked, and the limbs of such end each extend on opposite sides of the neck 23 at the upper end of a sliding plate 24: adapted to be lifted by any track instrument over which the train may pass and which may at the time of passing be in the danger position. The neck 23 is topped by a head 25 and the limbs of the lever engage this head. In its normal position with the controlling valve closed, the lever 21 stands horizontal, as seen in Fig. 5, and the spring is compressed, but when the valve is open, the end under the valve is depressed and the spring is expanded, as in Fig. 6.

Adjacent to the plate 24 is a locking plate 26 adapted to be lifted by the track instrument slightly in advance of plate 2%. This plate 26 normally locks plate 24 against any movement whatever. To obtain the advance movement, its bottom is extended a short distance lelow that of plate 24, as seen at Figs. 1, 2 and 5, so that it will be lifted before plate 2 1, and through this advanee movement, plate 2 1- is released so that it enabled to rise when actuated by the track instrument, a portion 27 of which is shown as lifting both the plates in Fig. 6. The locking of plate 24 is effected by two oppositely swinging dogs 28 pivoted on the upper horizontal members of U shaped retainers, the heads of which are upset one against plate 24: and the other end against the face of projection 31 of dog 28. The dogs when locked engage shoulders 29 on the edges of the inclosing frame or boxing 30, and they are released by laterally extending projections 31 formed upon the backs of the dogs and positioned so that they enter openings 32 in the plate These openings are shaped so that they act as cams when the plate 26 rises and swing the dogs out from their engagement with shoulders 29, thus releasing the plate 2-l from its lock, and

allowing it to be lifted by the track instrument from the position of'Fig. 5 to that of I Fig. 6. Then the plate 24: is released, the

setting pin hereinafter mentioned.

head 25 moves upward with the plate and allows the lever 21 to swing to the position of Fig. 6 so that spring 16 expands until the washer 18 rests on the sleeve 19 and the lever is arrested by the shoulders upon the T1?- 1e washer in this position prevents any further expansion of spring 16, but the movement is suflicient to enable the air pressure upon the valve to force it open and vent the train pipe.

The plate 26 is provided with downwardly acting springs 33 encircling spindles i2 upon the top of the plate and confined between the plate and a stationary cross member 34: of the instrument, through which the spindles are free to slide. These springs are constantly pressing the plate 26 downward, and consequently after the track instrument is passed, they are adapted to return the plates to normal position again as soon as the spring 16 is again compressed as in, Fig. 5. In recompressing said spring, the lever 21 is moved back from the position of Fig. 6 to that of Fig. 5, and the operationis a manual one performed with the aid of a bar or lever 35, the end of which is inserted in the notch 36 upon the front plate 37 of the inclosing box, which plate is adapted to be secured by studs 38. The bar 35 fulcrumed in the notch 36 is adapted to set under a re setting pin 39, and when the bar is raised, it lifts the pin which is freely hung in an opening in the cross member 34. The pin is provided with side flanges or shoulders 40 which lie under and are adapted to engage the limbs of lever 21 when the pin is raised by the bar. In this manner, the lever 21 is restored to its horizontal position andat the same time the spring 16 is again compressed so that the train instrumentis again ready for service. As a matter of safety to the resetting pin, I provide downwardly ex tending guards 41 at each side ofit and attached to said cross member 34:.

It will be noted that the valve when opened to the extent necessary to vent the brake pipes is only moved a limited distance, so that the valve is adapted to be closed by the pressure of springs 33 and the weight of slides 24 and 26 as soon as the pressure in the pipes has been reduced below their combined power, thereby preventing the complete exhaustion of the pipes. The combined power of springs 33 and slides 24 and 26 can be such as to close the valve against any desired pressure, but must always be less than that required to reset spring 16. As spring 16 must be compressed to allow slides 2i and 26 to drop sufficiently to allow lock dogs 28 to engage the shoulders 29, the valve after venting the pipe becomes a balanced valve holding a predetermined pressure in" the train pipe and refusing to hold a greater pressure until sprmg 161s compressed and slide 21 locked by the use of hand lever I claim 1. A train instrument adapted to cooperate with a track instrument and comprising avalve controlling the air brakes of the train, a device acting against the pressure of air for holding the valve closed, a slide controlling said holding device, means for locking the slide, and means for releasing the slide. a

21A train instrument adapted to cooperate with a track instrument and comprising a valve controlllng the air brakes of the tram held to its seat against the pressure of said air, a rocking device for holding the valve closed, a slide controlling said holding device, means for locking the slide, andmeans 4:. A train instrument adapted to cooperate with a track instrument and comprising a valve .controllmgthe alr brakes of the train, a device actlng against the pressure of air for holding the valve closed, a slide controlling said holding device, movable dogs for locking said slide, and a second slide for releasing said dogs.

5. A train instrument adapted to coeperate with .a track instrument and comprising a valve controlling the air brakes of the "train, a device acting against the pressure of air for holding the valve closed, aslide controlling said holding device, movable dogs for locking said slide, and a second slide for releasing said dogs, said slides being one in advance of the other.

6. The combination in a train instrument, of a valve controlling the air brakes, a spring pressing upon the valve, a positively acting 7 device for normally holding thevalveclosed and said spring compressed, and extraneous means whereby said holding device may be made to restore the compression in the spring after the train pipe has been vented, and the compression in said spring reduced.

7 A train instrument having a valve controlling the air-brake pipe and closing against its pressure, means yieldingly holding said valve in closed position, and closing means operable with variable pressure upon 1 said yielding means for closing said valve after pressure 1n the a1r pipe has been reduced, said closing means maintaining sa1d valve closed when the train pipe is both in vented and normal conditions.

8. A train instrument having a valve controlling the air brake pipe, yielding means and manually operable means for closing for closing said valve against the pressure of said valve and means for locking it in closed 10 air ifil 1 the air brakelpipe, salid means havilng position. insu cient stren t 1 to o ose said va vs 5 against the normal pressure in said air brake BENTON ROWVELL pipe and yet having suflicient strength to Witnesses: close said air brake pipe after the pressure PEARL ABRAMS, has been reduced and before it is exhausted, H. M. MUNDAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

